The Brose-made, Specialized-tuned 2.2 motor goes toe-to-toe with anything on the market. It keeps weight low at just 4.9 lbs, provides up to 400% assistance, 565 peak watts (250W nominal) and wields its 90Nm of torque masterfully—whether you’re accelerating from a stop or grinding out the final stretch of a climb.
Let’s focus on its torque for a moment. One of the motor’s standout abilities is its low-cadence torque. Picture a scenario where you’re starting out in too small of a gear—most motors won’t give you enough power because you don’t have enough RPMs. Worse, some torque sensors detect the added strain and overcompensate by surging forward with too much power. The 2.2, however, ramps up smoothly, making it great for getting moving from a near standstill or delivering just the right amount of assistance to finish a climb.
Yamaha motors tend to be punchy at the start but taper off, while Bosch motors can be slow to engage at low cadences before delivering a lot of power all at once. The 2.2 motor finds the sweet spot—it’s a Goldilocks scenario: just right.
But its strengths don’t stop at low-cadence scenarios. Power delivery remains smooth and consistent throughout. There are no unexpected surges, and the controlled application of power shines in technical terrain, making root- and rock-filled climbs more manageable.
There’s also plenty of top-end power. We haven’t encountered a reasonable hill the Turbo Levo couldn’t handle, meaning fewer stops and less hike-a-biking—just more time riding and having fun.
A unique feature of the Turbo Levo is its micro-adjustment power levels that you can execute on the fly. Most eMTBs offer basic Low, Medium, and High settings, with some including an auto mode that adjusts dynamically. The 2.2 motor has similar presets (Eco, Tour, Turbo), but it also allows riders to fine-tune power in 10% increments via the control pad. It’s not a necessity to use, but for those who notice and appreciate small differences in power output, this fine-tuning is a great tool to have on the fly, with the ability to pop into the app and further tune there as well (more on that in a minute).
The previous 2.1 motor had a few notorious durability issues, but Specialized made sure history wouldn’t repeat itself. They reinforced the internal components with stronger, wider belts, making them more robust. Several years in, the 2.2 motor has held up well, showing no widespread reliability concerns. It appears Specialized successfully addressed past issues.
The bike runs on a 700Wh battery. Unlike some full-power eMTBs where the downtube looks excessively bulky, the Turbo Levo integrates its battery cleanly. The chunky bottom bracket, while beneficial for keeping weight low and centralized, is a bit polarizing. It’s a win for handling, but opinions on its aesthetics remain divided.
